For example, Asana co-founder Justin Rosenstein failed to get an early version of Google Drive off the ground because he didn't push hard enough for the project. "Larry [Page] was so successful and smart," he said. "I just didn’t have the confidence back then to do what I wish I’d done in hindsight." But that mistake has made him a better leader today.

We've pulled out some of the most compelling and interesting stories that show no matter how bad things seem at the time, it's usually not the end of the world.